


Discontent

by meaghann



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-05-13 17:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5711251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meaghann/pseuds/meaghann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phryne's restless and out of sorts.</p>
<p>This is more than a drabble and less than a full story :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Discontent

The band at the Hartsfield’s mansion was in fine form; everyone was on their feet dancing, even Evelyn Hartsfield who proclaimed loudly and often that modern music was all noise and fit only for the young. The big draw this evening other than the band, was the new up and coming swimmer Colin Henderson. He had just won a national championship for Australia and everyone desired his presence at their fashionable gatherings. Between the lovely swimmer and the excellent champagne and elegant cuisine, Phryne Fisher should have been in seventh heaven, but she sat in the corner frowning at the room. 

“Miss Fisher, Evelyn Hartsfield said I should swing by and introduce myself. She said you were loads of fun, but I came to find out for myself. I’m Colin Henderson would you care to dance” and he beamed down at her, his toned physique and tanned skin a nice package, but she barely looked up at him.

“Yes, nice to meet you as well.”

Instead of taking her disinterest as a sign to go elsewhere, he sat on the couch next to her. He turned to face her and smiled a charming smile at her.

“Well, normally I have more of an effect than that. Tell me what to do to make you smile and I will be your slave.” Colin put his hand on Phryne’s wrist and stroked lightly, trying out his seduction gaze. 

Phryne chose not to laugh outright and removed her hand from his, smiling kindly at him

“As intriguing an offer as that is, I am afraid I need some air. It was lovely to meet you Mister Henderson” and she stood gracefully, gathering her wrap and bag. She went out into the cool night air and stood admiring the starry sky before heading down the stairs to her car, but before her foot left the terrace, a hand had grabbed her arm.

“Really Miss Fisher, I”ll have to try harder I suppose, but I am going to get a dance out of you this evening, and just one kiss to start.” Colin held on to her arm and dragged her towards him, with obvious intent. She gave him a polite second.

“Let go of me immediately Mister Henderson. I’ll ask you once.” 

“Now sweets, we could have a lot of fun, you and I. Don’t be tiresome.” 

With no warning, Phryne, did a neat little twist and brought Henderson’t arm with her down and down. Before he knew what had happened, he was on his knees with his hand at a funny angle. The pain was a brilliant sharp spike.

“Be glad it’s no worse than that. I have better things to do than wrestle with a cretin like you.” She stormed off down the path and took the car home at a speed Jack Robinson would have highly disapproved of. Everyone was asleep at Wardlow and she very quietly poured a drink in the parlour and sat thinking. The party had been a bad idea, Colin Henderson was a barbarian, and she felt lonely and restless. The feeling lasted until the next day, when Dot had plans, it was Mister Butler’s night off and the house was silent. She felt no hunger for the lovely meal Mister B had left her, and didn't want to go out at all, but the house was too quiet. Without even noticing, she was driving to City South, it seemed that the company of a certain Detective Inspector was the only thing she wanted, but just as she pulled up Jack was leaving, walking to the tram stop. She parked and followed him a distance behind and got on the tram without him even seeing her. She managed to keep tailing him until his quiet neighbourhood and then it was a real challenge. A succession of parked cars helped out and she managed to see which house he went into. The early evening light gilded the housetops and treetops giving the buildings a fairy tale feel. Jack Robinson’s house was a small white brick house with a porch across the front and a window on each side of the door. A tidy yard with a trim hedge surrounded it and there were well cared for flower beds. The porch had two chairs and a table to the left of the door and looked comfortable and welcoming.

Waiting for the dusk to come on, Phryne leaned against a tree across the street and enjoyed the peace of the street. There were trees lining both sides of the street, and the sounds of children came from several yards up and down. As the shadows gathered, Phryne moved over to the side of his house, being careful not to be seen and found a spot where she could gaze into the house and not be seen. The room was lined with bookshelves filled with books, a chimney to the right of her on the outside suggested a fireplace outside of her sight. There were two armchairs arranged in front of the fireplace and a sofa was under the front window. She couldn’t see Jack, so she moved farther down and suddenly he was there, in what was likely the kitchen, working at the stove. It was a nice windowed room that was probably bright in the daytime. That mean that there must be two bedrooms on the other side of the house and the bathroom. The backyard had a vegetable plot, and another porch, this one deeper and wider, with a more used look, a table and chairs and a wicker bench took up the main space and the table had the newspaper and a book left behind. Jack was moving and she moved with him back to the front room. He had taken his meal to sit in front of the fire with his book and Phryne drank in the sight of him without all his layers. His jacket and tie were gone and he was barefoot. His hair was soft from the shower and she desperately wanted to touch it. He was bent over his book and the way his strong hands held it and carefully turned the, she thought that Jack Robinson had never looked so beautiful. Just sitting outside his house watching him eat and read made Phryne feel peaceful and she went home feeling better than she had in days.

It became a habit that Phryne couldn’t do without. At the end of her day she would go over to Jack’s house and see if he was there. If he wasn’t at home, she went on by, but checked back later. Often late at night, she would just sit and watch Jack read, feeling comforted. It didn’t occur to her to knock and intrude on his peace. After the pain of the mistaken car crash, he had walked away from them, and she had intended to give him his space, but found that she needed him more than she knew. 

On this particular evening, her need for Jack drove her to go to him again and she slipped to the side of the house once more and looked to see if he was there, but the room was empty. She was enjoying the peace of the dark, but decided that perhaps it was time to stop this silliness. Just as she was about to leave, a voice made her jump.

“I’m putting the kettle on Miss Fisher” said Jack Robinson. He was standing in the kitchen window, his face in shadow, and he left it at that, letting her choose to come in or not. She stood, waiting for a sign, some sense of what to do next, and all she could imagine was how nice it would be to sit with Jack and talk, maybe make him smile that crooked smile she loved so much. That decided matters and she went up the steps to the back porch where Jack had put out the tea things and a plate of biscuits. There was a blanket draped over one of the chairs and she wrapped it around her shoulders and settled down. Jack came out in a dark sweater over his dress shirt and took the other chair. He poured her tea and passed the biscuits over. They munched and sipped quietly for a moment before Jack broke the silence.

“So what prompted these nighttime visits of yours?”

“Jack, you knew?”

“I am a detective Miss Fisher, I detect things” His voice was dry and amused, but he looked concerned and not as angry as a few weeks ago.

“I don’t know why I kept coming. The first time I was restless and alone, everyone in the household was gone and it was the time you usually come over. I just wanted to see you. Then I don’t know.” She picked at the edge of the blanket, embarrassed for the first time in a very long time. 

“You scared me Phryne” came his quiet voice in the dark.

“I know and made you angry, and I am sorry for that. I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” Jack stood up and gestured for her to join him on the wicker sofa. He wrapped the blanket around them both and hugged her to him. Phryne sighed and relaxed completely into him and suddenly she felt content and whole. They stayed wrapped together, not speaking until a clock chiming in the house reminded them both that the night was wearing on. Without breaking the silence, Phryne stood up and kissed Jack on the forehead, and headed home.


End file.
